The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-11-09
a Plea For The Birds.

I have read good deal about the
damage done in late years by chlnch
bugs, army worms, curculio. borers and
other insects .too numerous to men
tom but few of the writers seem 10
think or oe conscious Of the real reason
for the Increasing number and harmful
uc;s Of these pests. But we 90 not nave
70 90 far TO find the reason, and 1t IS
found in the widespread &nG outrageous
destruction of or birds. Think OF the
enormous number of small birds re-
cu;red to deck ladies hats nowadsys;
and of the ruined crops of hundreds OF
farmers and fruit growers IN the United
States. ana ask if the latter IS not the
resnl: Of the former. Of course it is; no
one VIII ct can dispute it. What is to
b2 done? Something; and no time
should DC lost in doing it. The Amerl-
can Humane Society is, | think, doing
good work in this direction, and
| wo;:!d in time blot out the bird-killing
business, especially as an adjunct to the
millinery trade OF the country; out IL
cannot work 4 reform soon enough to
satisfy the pressing necessities OF the
agriculture: Interests. We must appea!
to law to stop this indirect hatchlng ana
raising OF myriads Of insects to destroy
TIE crops of the farmer, fruit grower
| and market gardener.
do not think 4 law against catching
birds would do much good, for it would
not be enforced; but think law pro-
hibiting miliincrS, both wholesale and
retail, from handling these ghostly orna.
ments would have the desired effect, ana
with such law we might, in time, naVo
our birds as plentiful and useful as they
were few years ago, before this bloody
! WAY 0n them began.
Dut small birds are not the only IN
sect caters that are being e3term!nated
fcr frivolous purposes. The prairie
chickens are falling by the thousand by
the ruthless hand OF the market shooter
that vile blot upon the human race;
cruel as ticnd; grasping as mlser;
lazy as sloth; bralnless as an idiot land
for Earmfulness ranking next to the
devil himscl:. Why allow this low-lived
specimen of humanity to ply his das-
tardlv and destructive work under the
very nose of the farmer be is injurlng?
Whv not send him to the poorhouse.
asviun! or reritentiary, where he could
be kent with much less expense to the
| farmers. who are now supporting him?
Bus here is point that puzzles me.
Is it the shot, the blood, the broken
bones. or the feathers, that makes prai-
ric chicken meat such q delcacy? II
tame fowl were brought on the table IN
;hc condition in which the prairie
chlckcn is usually served, it would be
considered entirely unfit to eat; SO !
don't think the ep;curcan public would
lose much if prairie chicken shooting
should be prohibited by law the year
round, for at least five years, and longer
If the birds were net plentiful enough at
The end of that time. l think there
would be little or no objection to such
law. Every sportsman in the United
States would like 1t, and of course every
farmer would commend it; even the
market shooter would endorse it if be
had brains enough to comprehend its
advantages, for now he can hardly earn
fifty cents day, owingt to the scarcity
CT came. while tiEc years of this law
wouId be likely to leave flock OF the
birds on every ten-acre lot Don't say
they would injure the crops then; surely
10 candid person can think that. From
Aor:! Isl to JGly 10Th there is no grain
scr ,hcm TO get, SO during that time
they are waging war of extermina-
ton upon great many kinds OF harm
ii! insects, and when the grain does
come they still prefer insects tor the
nest OF their food, and only pick little
grain to season the insects that, but for
.. iii:em. would do more damage on an
are than the birds would do on ;en.
Then Tie grain is harvested inside OF
two weeks after it becomes eatable for
tilcm, when they have 10 fall back on
insects again.
Now h:re is chance for some law
maker 20 cover himself all over with
, ci9ry. VINO will come to the front and
save he farmers crops from the ravagcs
os inse,::s, aud the birds from the merci-
less luu:cr?-J T. McBroo1n, IN Farm,
StccS; nTI Home.